Come inside a Tudor house and join Robert Wynn and the household at Plas Mawr, the finest Elizabethan Mansion House in Britain, as they prepare for a party. Learn how they kept clean and fragrant and made themselves beautiful. You will also see how Dorothy and Robert Wynn dressed in their finest clothes.  Finally, join the household as they dance and learn how to dance a Tudor dance yourselves!

 

You can follow this up with work in the classroom using Cadw resources, Learn | Cadw (gov.wales) which include information on some of the items shown, as well as instructions for making a lavender wand and some tasty Tudor recipes.

 

Suitable for KS2

What was it like to have to wash and dry clothes before we had washing machines and electricity? Come and meet Marged to find out how she washed clothes in the olden days. You’ll see her using the washtub, washboard and the mangle before having the opportunity to explore further with our facilitator and see some of the objects more closely. I wonder what you will discover about how things have changed and what has remained the same?

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Suitable for Foundation Phase

What was life in Wales like 2000 years ago? Meet our resident Celt for a virtual tour of Bryn Eryr, our Iron Age roundhouses. Discover why the fire was so important, what food was eaten, and how clothes were made. But how do we know so much about life in the past? Work with our facilitator to find out how to unlock secrets of the past and collaborate to solve the mysteries of an Iron Age grave.

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Suitable for KS2

Take part in a series of challenges to find out about the life of a Roman Soldier. Learn about the Romans that once lived in Caerleon and discover what skills the Romans looked for in a soldier.  You will learn about Roman armour and be tested on your marching skills. You can also ask questions about a Roman soldier's life and some of the interesting objects they left behind.

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Suitable for KS2

Combining film and live facilitation, this workshop introduces learners to the museum’s art galleries, with a focus on Welsh Landscape art and artists.  Learners will consider how the Welsh landscape has inspired artists. They will analyse some key Welsh landscapes, question evidence and develop vocabulary to describe and respond to artwork. Learners will also have the opportunity to think about art technique, style, composition and the use of light and colour. 

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Suitable for KS2

What was life in Wales like during World War Two? It is 1943. Watch Mary Jones as she sends a letter from Blaenwaun Post Office to her friend, Minnie Owen, owner of Emlyn Davies Drapers Shop in Dowlais. Through a short film, learn more about these people and places, and discover more about day-to-day life on the Homefront.  Explore World War Two related objects  with our facilitator, discover the stories behind them and be inspired to investigate how your local area contributed to the war effort.

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Suitable for KS2

Follow the footsteps of Mr Rosser around his district of Swansea on the day of the 1851 Census. Meet several people from different backgrounds. Join us for our live workshop to interrogate a wide range of objects associated with the different characters and piece together what life was like in the 19th century for both rich and poor men and women.

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Suitable for KS2

Dive into the rich coal mining history of south Wales by joining a coal miner as he starts his working day at Big Pit in 1978.  Learn more about mining communities, not just during this period, but all the way back to the Industrial Revolution. What impact did mining have on the environment? How did coal inspire many writers and artists? How did changes in technology improve the lives of miners and their wives?

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Suitable for KS2

What was life like in Wales in the 1960s, and what was happening in the world at the time? Come and meet Huw in Number 1, Fron Haul, at the end of 1969 as he looks back at an exciting and turbulent decade. Huw will discuss some of the big news stories of the sixties and talk about his experience as a young person at this time. You will then have the opportunity to explore further with our facilitator, who will show you all kinds of interesting objects to learn more  about everyday life at the time. You can also explore the 1969 house digitally by using 360Scan technology.

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Suitable for KS2

Wealthy Romans are famous for their parties! Discover the weird and wonderful food they ate such as peacocks' brains to stuffed dormice. Find out about the lives of the slaves behind the rich Roman lifestyles. There will be opportunity to virtually study the collections at the National Roman Legion Museum which relate to this subject. 

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Suitable for KS2

Join us in Bethesda in 1901 to learn more about the Penrhyn Quarry Strike, the longest strike in British history. You will meet Leusa, and learn about the experience of living in the village during the strike by hearing the story of Pwtan the lost cat. Then, our facilitator will lead you on a virtual tour of the 1901 house using 360Scan technology, with opportunities to ask questions. You will also get to see objects and historical documents to learn more about why the strike happened and how this affected the local community.

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Suitable for KS2

A 45 minute online workshop looking at The National Library of Wales’ collection of Drawing volumes, be they preparatory sketches, personal records or a collection of ideas. The Education Service will pay particular attention to NLW 53, the drawing volume of Eliza Pugh, a 12-year-old deaf child, focusing on her use of art as a medium to communicate. In the context of her disability the workshop will include a video showing examples of signing, along with bilingual subtitles - to emulate Eliza's pictures - as well as a voiceover.

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Suitable for KS2

Recall the story of drowning Cwm Tryweryn during the 1960s through various collections at the The National Library of Wales. The story will be presented from the perspective of Capel Celyn villagers as well as children from the slum areas of the city of Liverpool. The workshop will focus on audio-visual material, including a 1965 film that documented the events as they unfolded, and television interviews with Martha Roberts, the Head-teacher of Capel Celyn School. The 60 minute workshop will be delivered online via Teams, and will include the use of maps, photographs, archives and newspapers from the period.

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Variations suitable for KS2 and Sixth Form students

An introduction to the life and work of Anglesey artist, Kyffin Williams, and his love of the highlands and coastline of North Wales. The 1 hour workshop will look at his career and distinctive style, making reference to how he dealt with health issues as a young man. The session will include audio-visual material of the artist discussing his art, including footage of him painting on the slopes of Snowdonia as well as in his workshops in Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll and London. To coincide with the workshop, a batch of coloured bilingual booklets on Kyffin Williams will be sent to each school that participates.

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Variation suitable for students from KS2 through to Sixth Form